Shouldn't Summer Clarke be given a second chance?

[sincforpm]

It is painfully obvious from the game vs U.S. that our back and the front lacked the pace to cope with the speedy international forwards. I agree with Lord Bob that the time to revamp the whole team is now! Perhaps Squizz will be kind enough to provide some insights as to why Summer Clarke has not been invited back to camp again? I do realize she had turned down the offer to the Vancouver Residency camp earlier this year but shouldn't she be given a second chance (she is the current leading goal scorer in her league)?

I would love to see youngsters like Ashley Lawrence, Danica Wu, Summer Clarke, Adriana Leon and Christabel Oduro getting their starts vs Germany on June 19th.

And sometimes Herdman decisions really baffled me. When Zurrer was benched by an extremely depleted Seattle Reign I was appalled that Zurrer was in the starting XI. Any replacement for her now will be an upgrade.

Finally, what will be a most effective formation vs the Germans?

[squizz1402635577]

Oh, if I had any such insights, I'd gladly provide them. I'm a bit puzzled as to her exclusion too, given the rate at which she's scored for the U17s. My impression is that when it comes to young, attacking players with pace, Herdman/Olivieri might be leaning more towards Nichelle Prince -- she can score, but she's more of a wide player than Clarke.

But yeah, I agree Clarke should be given another chance -- if for no other reason than to continue the ongoing competition between her and her brother, in terms of who can score more goals for Canada (Summer currently has a big lead).

[squizz1402635577]

Note: This "competition" is completely something I've invented. Neither of them has ever publicly admitted to one, as far as I know... but c'mon... if you and your sibling were both goal-scorers for your country, you'd be trying to one-up them, right?

[The Ref]

I agree that all these young girls need not only second chances but chances galore. It serves no purpose for Herdman to continue with players that are old enough to be the mother of these youngsters and 2 years down the road will be even worst. Herdman complains that our system is not producing players which is not altogether true if one look at the hundreds of Canadian girls playing for U.S. colleges. What is Herdman doing about his perception and how many scouts that he have looking around. Even in our own ranks of universities, there are good players that appear to be continuously ignored.

[Lord Bob]

Is Summer being excluded, or is she not making herself available again? (This is a genuine question.)

[squizz1402635577]

What is Herdman doing about his perception and how many scouts that he have looking around.

He's apparently got U20 coach Andrew Olivieri out scouring the U.S. ranks to see if anyone's got Canadian connections (a la Rachel Quon).

I wish I was kidding.

[sincforpm]

Oh, if I had any such insights, I'd gladly provide them. I'm a bit puzzled as to her exclusion too, given the rate at which she's scored for the U17s. My impression is that when it comes to young, attacking players with pace, Herdman/Olivieri might be leaning more towards Nichelle Prince -- she can score, but she's more of a wide player than Clarke.

But yeah, I agree Clarke should be given another chance -- if for no other reason than to continue the ongoing competition between her and her brother, in terms of who can score more goals for Canada (Summer currently has a big lead).

Yes, Nichelle Prince is another good young player on the radar as well. Hopefully Summer Clarke's exclusion will not turn into something like, dare I say, Syd version 2!!! My apologies for bringing up her name but it will be disastrous for us if another talent slips through our system cause she has not been given a fair chance.

[squizz1402635577]

That comment led me to quickly look up what countries Clarke could theoretically be eligible for... among them is England.

CAP-TIE CLARKE NOW!!!!!11one

[Blackdude]

I find it funny that people are saying that we should play 18 year old kids who are still eligible for our U20 team.

[Guest ClaytonA]

Aside from Summer Clarke who is arguably playing at a lower level, with the Whitecaps dropping their W League program, there are now 4 Canadians playing for the Sounders Women. If they "aren't good enough," then how could we encourage players like them to further develoop? Grasping at forgein players with nebulous Canadian connections is unseemly. I'd hate to be reading some of the press, etc re Quon when Canadian options for development and playing time are being taken away if I was a female player on the last U20 team...

http://www.sounderswomen.com/team/1/index_E.html

[CoachRich]

This Feb Summer Clarke accepted a full ride four-year scholarship to Louisiana State University - http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?SPSID=27839&SPID=2168&DB_LANG=C&DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=206079069&Q_SEASON=2013

Playing on Caps 2013 Elite Roster and top scorer in the www.pcsl.org (spring/summer leage)

Honor roll student at high school so maybe getting 1st semester of LSU or her major choice out of the way.

[Guest ClaytonA]

http://www.lsusports.net/ViewArticle.dbml?DB_OEM_ID=5200&ATCLID=209331992

BATON ROUGE – LSU Soccer’s standout freshmen Summer Clarke and Emma Fletcher continue to add to their list of accolades after helping lead the Tigers during their rookie seasons in 2013 as each has been named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America All-South Region Third Team that was announced Wednesday morning.

Their selection as all-region performers comes on the heels of a 2013 season in which they were also honored as Second-Team All-SEC performers and members of the SEC All-Freshman Team.

Clarke and Fletcher helped form the nucleus of LSU’s Class of 2013 that received consensus recognition as one of the Top 15 recruiting classes in the country heading into the season. Their talent has certainly been on display while leading a youthful Tiger squad into the top half of the SEC table in a tie for sixth place in the final league standings this season.

Clarke has emerged as one of the SEC’s top goal scorers in her debut season at LSU as she was the team’s leading scorer with 10 goals and three assists for 23 points through 20 matches this season. She scored a total of eight goals in SEC play to tie for the No. 3 spot in the SEC, including three multi-goal games with a hat trick at Arkansas on Oct. 4 and two goals each at Alabama on Oct. 6 and Texas A&M on Oct. 31.

A native of Richmond, British Columbia, Canada, Clarke was honored as the SEC Offensive Player of the Week and TopDrawerSoccer.com National Player of the Week after scoring five of LSU’s eight goals in a weekend sweep at Arkansas and Alabama in early October, including both game-winners.

Fletcher has enjoyed a record-setting freshman season with the Tigers as one of the SEC’s top attacking midfielders while scoring one goal and serving up a team-leading 12 assists for 14 points on the year.

Fletcher’s 12 assists is a new LSU freshman record, breaking the school’s previous freshman mark of eight assists by now senior Addie Eggleston during her debut season in 2010. Fletcher is the SEC’s top assist maker in 2013 as her 12 assists in all games and eight assists in league play top the SEC scoring charts.

A native of Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, Fletcher earned SEC Freshman of the Week honors in back-to-back weeks while scoring her first career goal in a 1-1 draw with Tennessee on Sept. 27 and assisting a game-winning goal in a 3-2 overtime victory over Mississippi State on Sept. 29 before dishing out four assists in LSU’s weekend sweep at Arkansas and Alabama.

Hopefully John Herdman is keeping tabs on these and other Canadian NCAA players.

[The Ref]

There are some real good and promising players that Herdman seems to be ignoring. If it was me I would have a B team going on all the time. To extrapolate the odd player from the U20 or U17 is just a trickle that will not fill the glass. Having a full fledged B team he can use them also as on going sparring and not only a feeder.

[sincforpm]

There are some real good and promising players that Herdman seems to be ignoring. If it was me I would have a B team going on all the time. To extrapolate the odd player from the U20 or U17 is just a trickle that will not fill the glass. Having a full fledged B team he can use them also as on going sparring and not only a feeder.

I totally agree. Sabrina D'Angelo and Nkem Ezurike have made the NCAA First Team. They along with Emma Fletcher, Christabel Oduro, Ashley Lawrence (just to name a few) will make a great B team. Herdman's record is hard to argue against, but his constant obsession with Zurrer and the recent call up of Selenia Iacchelli really baffled me.

[The Ref]

I totally agree. Sabrina D'Angelo and Nkem Ezurike have made the NCAA First Team. They along with Emma Fletcher, Christabel Oduro, Ashley Lawrence (just to name a few) will make a great B team. Herdman's record is hard to argue against, but his constant obsession with Zurrer and the recent call up of Selenia Iacchelli really baffled me.

I will throw in there the name of Daniela Fuenzalida also. It baffles me as well the obsession with Zurrer, who is not hot potato and Iachelli a name of the past. Neither really are first team players. Herdman is carrying some old players who will struggle even more in 2 years time. I don't think he can repeat his success of last year with the same players. If he has a contract till 2018 shouldn't he be working with a long term planning. I hope it is a case of him and the CSA keeping new developments under wraps.

[Trillium]

I will throw in there the name of Daniela Fuenzalida also. It baffles me as well the obsession with Zurrer, who is not hot potato and Iachelli a name of the past. Neither really are first team players. Herdman is carrying some old players who will struggle even more in 2 years time. I don't think he can repeat his success of last year with the same players. If he has a contract till 2018 shouldn't he be working with a long term planning. I hope it is a case of him and the CSA keeping new developments under wraps.

There is no secret laboratory to keep new players under the wraps... Herdman like many of other national coaches we have had mens and womens side is not getting out nearly enough looking at talent and then bringing them in to see who has growth potential versus those already in the pool.

A "B" team would be a good start as would sending more players to play professionally in Australia in the Winter season.

[Vic]

NCAA 2013 Awards announced this weekend as part of the College Cup finals:

Div III

K - Elizabeth Foody, Ottawa ON (2nd Team)

Div II

F - Arielle Kabangu, Ottawa ON (3rd team)

Div I

K - Sabrina D'Angelo, Welland ON (1st Team)

F - Nkem Ezurike, Lower Sackville NS (1st Team)

D - Kadeisha Buchanan, Brampton ON (2nd Team)

[Vic]

Saw some Twitter chatter about Ally Courtnall who's just logged every minute to help UCLA to win the NCAA Div1 College Cup final.

Courtnall helped Canada win gold in the 2010 CONCACAF U17's via eliminating the United States in penalties in the semi's to knock them out of the World Cup. Before the tournament she was honest that her dream was to play for the US WNT, but if that never materializes we'll be exceptionally fortunate. Pray they don't gratuitously cap-tie her to keep that from happening.

I used to love watching her father and uncle play. Watching her Dad go through the neutral zone was poetry in motion. She has his pace and also runs for UCLA and has run a sub-12 second 100m and had a ridiculous 54 second 400m last year against USC. That would make her the 5th fastest CIS runner (while a full three years younger than everyone ranked above her).

[CAFAN]

There is a lot of very positive talk about Courtnall on the Big Soccer boards. She sounds like a keeper. Herdman would be wise to move on her before the USA scoops her.

[StrandOne]

The notion of "cap tying" a player to bar them from playing for another country, especially when the country "cap tying" has no intention of playing the athlete is absolutely VULGAR + REVOLTING. Intentionally ruining the national team career for a player is DISGUSTING.

I agree that 98% of the names mentioned in the discussion should be given a chance to play for Canada's senior team. They will get their chance when all these ancient players "retire" in 2015. Herdman won't have a choice then. As for Summer, you have to abide by your contract to play but I've heard she's "over" soccer + simply miles better than SEC talent. That's not a head scratcher.

[The Ref]

I agree that 98% of the names mentioned in the discussion should be given a chance to play for Canada's senior team. They will get their chance when all these ancient players "retire" in 2015. Herdman won't have a choice then.

Have any of the old players expressed any plans of retirement? Herdman seems oblivious to that scenario, he seems to like bringing players out of retirement.

[StrandOne]

Have they declared their retirement plans to who? You? Obviously not. They are injured. They are 30. They are tired. But they are gonna get across the finish line-- 2015 WWC. What is oblivious about using every last drop he can outta them in 2015? It's not like they don't want to give it.

[Blackdude]

Have they declared their retirement plans to who? You? Obviously not. They are injured. They are 30. They are tired. But they are gonna get across the finish line-- 2015 WWC. What is oblivious about using every last drop he can outta them in 2015? It's not like they don't want to give it.

Melissa Tancredi talked during the Olympics about saying it will probably be her last time playing for the senior team, but Canada was able to play the game of their life against the US plus beat France in a game they had no business being in it. Then, you see the team doing something they have never done at the senior level. And they think that they can continue for 3 more years. Plus people won't retire after the 2015 WWC, they'll want to continue for the Olympics. How many players on the senior women's team retired between the WWC and the Olympics in 2011-2012? None. The way I see it especially in CONCACAF where there isn't a continental tournament that teams play aside from the World Cup/Olympics qualifying, they will want to go to Brazil.

[Blackdude]

The notion of "cap tying" a player to bar them from playing for another country, especially when the country "cap tying" has no intention of playing the athlete is absolutely VULGAR + REVOLTING. Intentionally ruining the national team career for a player is DISGUSTING.

Blame the player not the national federation. If a player chose to accept the call-up, it's HIS/HER problem. Let's give Jaocb Lensky for example. He shone the Canadian senior team for playing with the Czech U21 team. He got selected 3 times for the Czechs, only to find out that he wasn't good enough for the Czechs. Sure the Czechs captied a player that way, but he made the decision to play for the Czech Republic. The Czech Republic didn't force him to play for them. He made that decision. Most of the times that it happens is because the player wants to play for a better national team at any level. To captie a player, the player has to a) switch national teams or Play an official game at the senior level.

If a player swiches national teams, he/she should know what (s)he's doing. They do it usually to play for a better team or if they find out that they are not good enough for the team they played at the youth level and have another nationality that can help them.

And if you play an official game at the senior level, and see that you don't belong on the team, then why did you accept the call?

[Vic]

I believe FIFA has given grace for friendlies (unlimited), allowing a one-time no-way-back change of mind. For official tournaments and competition matches, if it was a "youth" tournament (meaning U23 and downward), you can change your mind if you were a citizen of both countries when you played your first game.